AFTER THE CREDITS: Encounter At Farpoint
by Ster J
Summary: Sto Lat McCoy tries to get Spock to face the inevitable. Spock has another agenda. SLASH I called this TOS bc of McCoy & Spock, but it is really a TNG ep.


AFTER THE CREDITS: Encounter At Farpoint

"Sto Lat"

by Ster Julie

Codes: TOS x TNG; S/Mc, D

Rating: PG

Part 1 of 1

Summary: McCoy tries to get Spock to face the inevitable. Spock has another agenda. "Sto lat" is Polish for "A hundred years!"

--ooOoo--

Admiral Leonard McCoy was hard pressed to keep his mind on the task at hand. Part of the reason was his advanced age. One was expected to be a bit addled at the ripe old age of 137 years. But it was the aged doctor's heart that was distracted. As much as he had told his spouse that what he would be feeling over the bond would not bother him, he was still terribly troubled yet determined to see this Time through apart from his beloved.

He could think of no better distraction than an inspection tour of the newest ship to carry the proud name--NCG 1701-D. _Enterprise._

Whenever Leonard closed his ancient eyes, he could see his beloved's fevered, fearful face. He could hear their latest argument on the matter. And he didn't have to imagine just _what_ Spock was doing with someone else. He felt it all along the bond--Spock's relief from the all-consuming need, his anguish that it was not his _t'hy'la _that was soothing him so, and his profound sorrow that his Lenkam will most likely not survive to the next Time. He had nearly died two times previous, and the last one, when Spock insisted that Leonard be present and melded to him while Spock satisfied his need with someone else just about broke the old doctor's heart.

Unfortunately, the distraction with the _Enterprise _D did not last long enough. All too soon he was back in their house, in his comfy chair, and trying to silence what he was sensing through the bond with his favorite medicinal whiskey.

When he came to, Leonard did not know how long he had been in his chair. But he knew one thing, though. Spock was calling to him over the bond. He was coming home to his Lenkam!

"Billy Jo!" he croaked feebly. "Billy Jo!"

The home health care worker, Richard by name (Leonard called them all Billy Jo for some reason), came running.

"Billy Jo!" Leonard repeated. "Help me up!"

"Easy, Doc," Richard cautioned. "You've been in that chair for two days. What's the hurry?"

"Two days?" Leonard echoed. "No wonder I smell this bad. Get a move on, boy! You've gotta get me gorgeous. My husband is on his way home."

Richard smiled at that. He knew of no other couple that had been married for over 100 years. How they had kept the flame strong after all these years was beyond his comprehension. Richard first hydrated Leonard, then bathed him, shaved him and scented him with an exotic cologne. Richard trimmed the doctor's hair and dressed him in special clothes. He gave Leonard a nutritional drink then helped him to clean his teeth.

"How do I look?" Leonard asked as he smoothed down his deep blue cashmere sweater. Spock had once said that the color complimented his blue eyes, so Leonard only wore it for Spock, and only on special occasions.

"You look ravishing," Richard commented.

Leonard smiled crookedly. "Let's hope so!"

After settling Leonard comfortably in a chair and making sure there were sufficient provisions, Richard left the two lovebirds to their reunion.

The sound of a transporter beam echoed throughout the house. Leonard knew that he had only had seconds to wait, yet it seemed to stretch to an eternity. In that tiny span of time, he remembered his brief conversation with that android on the _Enterprise_-D.

_"I don't see no points on your ears, boy," he remembered saying, "but you sound like a Vulcan._

_"No, sir," Data replied. "I'm an android."_

Leonard saw his beloved begin to take shape right before his eyes, looking for all the word like a man-sized Christmas tree.

_Data paused awkwardly. "I thought it was generally accepted, sir, that Vulcan's are an advanced and most honorable race."_

_"They are, they are," Leonard agreed, "and damned annoying at times."_

-

Spock's first sight upon rematerializing was the sight of Leonard's empty recliner. "Lenkam?" he gasped worriedly. Their bond had remained ominously silent for nearly two days.

"You lookin' for me, handsome?" an aged, dear voice sounded from the quaint riding chair on the staircase.

Spock turned and drank in the vision before him. Leonard had donned his "special sweater" and was holding out to him a large tumbler of water. The Vulcan took the ritual cup of welcome and downed its contents, his eyes never leaving the doctor's face.

"Welcome home, darling,'" Leonard drawled.

Spock dropped to his knees before his Lenkam and ran his fingertips softly over the dear face and arms to the knees. He rested his travel-weary head in Leonard's lap.

"Aw," Leonard cooed, "you're always so tired after your Time. Do you feel okay? Do you want to go rest?"

"I am fine now, _t'hy'la,_" Spock replied. He raised his head and asked, "Have _you_ been well? I was unable to sense you for more than a day."

"Musta been asleep," Leonard lied.

"Lenkam," Spock started.

"Okay, okay," Leonard retorted. "I was passed out drunk." He took a deep breath, trying to keep sudden tears at bay. "I could feel you and that rell-die person goin' at it, and it purt-near broke my heart. I thought I could take it this time, but I couldn't." Leonard shook himself. "Don't mind me. I'm just still on my pity pot."

Spock gently stroked Leonard head-to-knees again. "Then we will just have to get you off it." The Vulcan scooped Leonard into his arms and began to carry his spouse up the stairs and into their room.

"Spock?" Leonard began nervously. "I thought that rell-die person was supposed to burn the fever out of you."

"I had the _reldai_ leave me a little fire for you, Lenkam."

"Aw, Spock," Leonard whined, "don't start somethin' I can't finish."

Spock continued his slow ascent with his beloved.

"We'll finish," he assured.

"You'll give me a heart attack."

"Impossible. You have an artificial heart."

"I'll stroke out and die."

"Then we will both die, and with smiles on our faces."

"You just won't take no for an answer, will you, you stubborn Vulcan."

"I never have."

Spock reached their appointed place and laid Leonard gently on the bed. He sat next to his beloved and took the hand nearest him.

"Lenkam," the Vulcan began, "you are all I have ever wanted and all that I need. The _reldai_ may have touched my body, but only you can quench the flames of my spirit."

Leonard squirmed. "I'm just afraid of this old body disappointing you, darling.'"

"You'll never do that," Spock said, removing his traveling cloak. "In one hundred years of being with you, you have never disappointed me."

"One hundred years?" Leonard breathed as Spock slid into bed beside him and slipped a hand under the cashmere. "Well, here's to a hundred more!"

END


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